Harris Pye and Sobrena to collaborate

The U.K.-headquartered Harris Pye Group and the Sobrena ship repair yard, in Brest, France, have signed a non-exclusive collaboration to work together providing services for refurbishment, repair, upgrade, conversion and life extension of ships and offshore assets across the marine, cruise and oil and gas fields.

"We are delighted to have come to this agreement with Sobrena," says Mark Prendergast, Harris Pye's Group Managing Director, who called the agreement "a natural next step" in an ongoing relationship that sees the two companies "pooling our strengths to the advantage of clients to the advantage of clients in the cruise and offshore oiland gas industry."

Under a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding, the two companies plan to form an integrated project team from both parties to offer design, engineering, supply, installation, commissioning and docking and yard facilities. "We have each identified our particular strengths, and will be working to those," says Mr. Prendergast.

"Sobrena associated with Harris Pye on projects in both the offshore and cruise fields will be a strong and reliable solution for customers, covering all aspects with a common project team but also with clear and identifiable services for each party," said Michel Faou, General Manager of Sobrena. "Sobrena is happy to be able to present additional alternatives to customers in the Atlantic Basin."

In a case by case analysis, Harris Pye Group's role will be to provide its installation project team to identify and provide, where necessary, all associated materials, tooling, manpower, supervision and project management and to control this process in conjunction with Sobrena and client's project teams.

"Harris Pye will also be responsible for the provision of full estimation services for all aspects of the contract within our remit and services; for providing fully managed labor teams to undertake agreed work scopes; and to provide Quality Assurance and Control including materials traceability," explains Mr. Prendergast. "We will also provide Health & Safety management to OHSAS 18001 standards."

Well known as a leading specialist in repair of marine and industrial boilers, including all associated steam systems, the Harris Pye Group has recently undergone substantial planned growth, by both internal expansion and acquisition, into areas complimentary to its core business. It offers expertise in automation, control engineering and ship repair; industrial services; the manufacture of food-grade stainless steel galley/land-based kitchen equipment; and ship outfitting. Over the past 10 years, the Group has also successfully developed its service to the offshore oil industry to include in situ repair, upgrade and conversion of rigs, semi-submersibles, trading tankers, FSU, FSO, FPSO and FSRU units.

Sobrena, the major French ship repair yard, Sobrena is owned by Group Meunier, a major industrial maintenance company. With three dry docks of up to 80 m in width and 420 m in length, Sobrena is able to accommodate almost all ships and offshore assets with very few exceptions.